GoVia

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what period she plans that the next south-central franchise to run.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport is currently considering the matter of franchise length as part of development of the franchise specification for South Central. We hope to make an announcement shortly.

Railways: South East

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reasons she has decided that bidders for the next South-Central franchise will be required to bid in accordance with a train operating timetable constructed by her Department.

Tom Harris: The Department for Transport will not be constructing any timetables for the South Central franchise.
	Network Rail is currently engaged in a process of developing timetables to facilitate the delivery of the East London line extension in mid 2010, and the construction of the Thameslink project, particularly works at London Bridge, from 2012. These industry developed timetables will be provided to bidders.
	Given the complexity of the South London network and the fact that the East London Line timetable will come into force around six to nine months after the new franchise starts it is prudent that planning for such events begins in advance of the new franchise. Network Rail is leading this process.

Roads: Accidents

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fatal road traffic accidents there were involving the offence of taking and driving away in each of the last five years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of reported fatal road accidents in which a police officer attended the scene of the accident and a 'stolen vehicle' was recorded as a contributory factor for 2005 and 2006 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of accidents 
			  Contributory factor  2005  2006 
			 Stolen vehicle 22 40 
		
	
	Information on contributory factors is not available prior to 2005.
	The 'stolen vehicle' code is used only where the fact that the vehicle was stolen influenced the driver/rider's behaviour and contributed to the accident. Information on contributory factors to personal injury road accidents is published in 'Road Casualties Great Britain: the annul report' available in the Libraries of the House and on the Departments website at:
	http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesgbar/roadcasualtiesgreatbritain2006

Animal Welfare

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 6 February 2008,  Official Report, column 1276W, on animal welfare: religion, what progress has been made on taking into account the views of religious communities while upholding the requirements of animal health and welfare legislation; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Further to my holding reply of 4 February, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment (Hilary Benn), held a meeting on 7 February with representatives of the Hindu community.
	They discussed how we take into account the views of Hindu religious communities when enforcing the requirements of animal health and welfare legislation. It was agreed that interested parties should work together to establish how such cases should be approached in future.
	In addition, they proposed that a protocol should be drawn up which, while acknowledging the deeply-held religious beliefs of the Hindu community, will ensure that animals do not suffer unnecessarily.
	DEFRA officials will be contacting interested parties shortly to seek their views on an initial draft of the protocol.

Departmental Equality

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what conclusions his Department has reached in fulfilment of the duty under section 3.111 of the statutory code of practice of the disability equality duty.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA was one of the Government Departments that was criticised by the Disability Rights Commission in 2007 for failing to produce an effective Disability Equality Scheme. Rather than trying to improve and strengthen the disability aspects of our Joint Equality Scheme, DEFRA took the opportunity to produce a more focused and effective single equality scheme for disability.
	Our new scheme was developed with the involvement of disabled people and was approved by the new Equalities and Human Rights Commission at the end of 2007. This new Disability Equality Scheme has been published in full and summary form on the DEFRA internet site.
	Over the past year, and during the course of developing our new scheme we have seen some very tangible improvements for disabled and deaf staff and service users. We have, for example, created a central disability fund to meet the cost of reasonable adjustments for disabled and deaf staff in the Core DEFRA Department. Our bullying and harassment policy has been revised and we have recruited and trained a cohort of harassment advisors. We have also launched a mediation service for staff. In addition, we have strengthened our relationship with DisNet, our staff network for disabled staff. A very significant advancement has been in the governance arrangements for our Disability Equality Scheme. We have set up a Disability Equality Scrutiny and Advisory Group made up of independent disabled experts to monitor and advise on our progress against our action plans.

Mauve Stingers

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W on mauve stingers, to which types of jellyfish blooms the UK is vulnerable; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W, on mauve stingers, what assessment he has made of whether climate change has made the UK more vulnerable to mauve stingers; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W, on mauve stingers, whether he has commissioned research into mauve stingers; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2281W, on mauve stingers, on which occasions mauve stingers have affected the UK aquaculture sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: There are six species of jellyfish that occur in UK coastal waters. They are:
	(a) Mauve stinger Pelagia noctiluca
	(b) Compass jellyfish Chrysaora hysoscella
	(c) Lion's mane jellyfish Cyanea capillata
	(d) Blue jellyfish Cyanea lamarckii
	(e) Moon jellyfish Aurelia aurita
	(f) Barrel jellyfish Rhizostoma octopus
	Mauve stingers are oceanic and occur in coastal waters only occasionally. Little is known about the temporal and spatial patterns of occurrence for mauve stingers. The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) have awarded a short-term (6-month) urgency award to Swansea university to assess the overall extent of mauve stinger occurrence in the Irish sea and adjacent waters during the winter of 2007-08.
	The last two decades have seen increasing water temperatures around the UK and as mauve stingers have a predominantly southern distribution (e.g. being highly abundant in the Mediterranean) we might thus expect increasing bloom formation around the UK coast.
	The problems with fish damage and mortalities due to influx of jellyfish swarms are well known to the finfish aquaculture industry, and to their insurers. In the UK and Ireland, Mauve stingers and other oceanic jellyfish such as Solmaris corona, along with some common coastal species such as the moon jellyfish Aurelia, are known to have caused significant mortalities of farmed fish. The problem is a global one for marine fish farmers. Although the industry has developed some ways to manage and mitigate the risks and effects of toxic plankton, these are not always effective with large swarms of jellyfish that can appear suddenly on one tide and disappear on the next, or may persist for days or weeks.
	There is no systematic reporting of jelly fish events and the reports that Fisheries Research Services (FRS) has are of an ad-hoc nature. As follows is a table summarising jellyfish incidents.
	
		
			  Number of affected sites  Number of fish killed  Biomass lost (Tonnes) 
			 8 244,000 404 
			 3 4,300 unknown 
			 43 2,275,100 5,754 
			 26 1,857,800 2,552 
			 10 205,750 317.7 
			 2 770 2.76 
			 4 117,838 317 
			 4 48,827 110.2 
			 3 280,000 472 
			  Source: FRS 
		
	
	It is important to note that as the aquaculture industry has developed since the mid nineteen eighties they increasingly use commercial fish vets and their own labs to investigate such incidents which are not notifiable under statute.

Child Poverty

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster What work the Social Exclusion Task Force has conducted on the level of child poverty.

Phil Hope: The Government has succeeded in arresting and reversing the long-term trend of rising child poverty. Compared to 1998 there are 600,000 fewer children living in relative poverty and 1.8 million fewer living in absolute poverty. The joint DWP/DCSF Child Poverty Unit takes responsibility for analysis of child poverty trends across government. The Social Exclusion Taskforce is conducting complementary research focused upon the experience of multiple disadvantage by children and their families.

Social Exclusion

Graham Allen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on the creation of a national assessment centre for early intervention policies to tackle social exclusion; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Miliband: Early intervention is a key principle being championed by the Social Exclusion Taskforce and we continue to work with partners across Whitehall, including the Department for Children, Schools and families as well as outside organisations, in identifying and testing innovative approaches to preventing social exclusion.

Voluntary Work

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what recent steps the Government have taken to encourage people to volunteer.

Phil Hope: Over the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review period the Government will be investing over £137 million in programmes to encourage people to volunteer, such as the national youth charity v, Goldstar, Volunteering for All, and strategic funding to organisations such as Volunteering England and the Mentoring and
	Befriending Foundation.
	The Government recently announced plans to invest £4 million in new training programmes for volunteers, and £2 million to create a new access to volunteering fund for disabled people, in response to recommendations by the Commission on the Future of Volunteering.
	The Office of the Third Sector is also working across Government to reduce the barriers that prevent people from volunteering by, for example, working with the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure benefit claimants can also volunteer.

Alcoholic Drinks: Misuse

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide further  (a) training and  (b) guidance for relevant healthcare professionals on the identification and management of alcohol abuse.

Dawn Primarolo: The Department has funded the production of guidance to support the effective delivery of high quality training on substance misuse, including alcohol, within undergraduate medical education in the United Kingdom. "Substance Misuse in the Undergraduate Medical Curriculum" was developed with the involvement of all of the UK medical schools, was overseen by an expert steering group and published by the International Centre for Drug Policy in April 2007.
	The Foundation programme, which describes the syllabus and competencies for junior doctors to understand the effects of alcohol on health and psychological wellbeing of the patient and family members, the effects of alcohol on pregnancy, to know about local support groups or agencies and to demonstrate competence in taking alcohol histories and advising on safer drinking levels or drinking cessation. The Department is currently involved in the development of new learning resources across all aspects of The Foundation programme including this one.
	The Government have invested £3.2 million to commission a two year trailblazer research project on the identification and management of alcohol abuse. The outputs will include guidance on the most effective screening tools and revised support materials for healthcare professionals as well as those in criminal justice settings.
	The Department is developing a web-based e-learning module which will train health professionals in the routine identification of alcohol misuse and how to advise patients on reducing their drinking or, if necessary, refer them to appropriate specialist treatment. The module will be available to clinicians across the entire national health service by the summer and will subsequently be made available to other health and social care professionals.

Drugs: Lancashire

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency were being treated for drug addiction at the latest date for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse (NTA) does not provide published numbers of individuals in contact with structured drug treatment, hereafter referred to as "treatment numbers, based on constituency boundaries.
	Run in partnership with Manchester University, the NTA's National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) does provide treatment numbers at local drug action team partnership level for the 149 Drug Action Teams (DATs) in England. Each DAT area corresponds with a local authority area.
	The most recent treatment numbers for Lancashire DAT are provided as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Numbers in treatment(1) 3,652 
			 Numbers in treatment: year to date(2) 4,919 
			 (1) Number of drug users in treatment in January 2008 (the most recent month for which figures are available). (2) Total numbers in treatment at end of January 2008 for the financial year 2007-08 .  Source: www.ndtms.net

Health Services: Prisons

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what benchmarks have been established to assess the fitness of private contractors to undertake work in prison health care departments; what penalties apply to contractors who fail to meet their contractual obligations; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to maintain the quality of care in prison health care departments run by private companies; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what measures are in place to ensure that employees of health care departments in the prison service do not lose benefits as a result of the transfer of undertakings to private contractors; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not directly regulate or monitor private companies' involvement in specific local services.
	It is for primary care trusts (PCTs), the local leaders of the national health service, to commission an appropriate range of high quality health care services to meet the needs of their population. For prison health services, as with other health services, PCTs may decide to procure alternatives from other NHS organisations or from the private sector or the third sector. Strategic health authorities ensure that PCTs carry out their commissioning role effectively, and in line with the principles and rules for competition established by the Department.
	The Healthcare Commission is responsible for regulating independent sector providers and assessing and inspecting NHS providers. In prisons and places of detention, the Healthcare Commission works together with HM Inspectorate of Prisons to inspect health services, under a memorandum of understanding. For contracted out services, PCTs remain responsible for maintaining NHS standards of care, and the Healthcare Commission inspects and reviews PCTs against the standards of health care in those prisons for which they are responsible.
	For individuals whose contracts of employment move from the prison service to private contractors, Transfer of Undertakings Protection of Employment Regulations apply, under which employees' existing terms and conditions are protected.

Prescription Drugs: Side Effects

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many people have been admitted to hospital due to adverse reactions to prescription drugs in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many deaths were due to adverse reactions to prescription drugs in each of the last 10 years;
	(3)  how many recorded incidents of adverse reactions to prescription drugs there were in each of the last 10 years.

Dawn Primarolo: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the Yellow Card Scheme. Approximately 20,000 reports of ADRs are reported to the MHRA/CHM through this scheme each year. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
	The following table shows the number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received by the MHRA between 1997 and 2007 which had a fatal outcome and resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation.
	
		
			  Year received by MHRA  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received with a fatal outcome  Number of spontaneous UK suspected ADR reports received which resulted in or prolonged hospitalisation 
			 1997 16,627 447 2,484 
			 1998 18,048 520 2,972 
			 1999 18,484 564 3,212 
			 2000 33,151 632 4,062 
			 2001 21,456 647 3,015 
			 2002 17,610 669 3,630 
			 2003 19,216 735 4,381 
			 2004 19,979 861 4,429 
			 2005 21,856 1,018 4,577 
			 2006 21,511 953 4,628 
			 2007 21,600 1,031 4,545 
		
	
	The number of ADRs stated are subject to change due to the dynamic nature of the MHRA's database. For example duplicate reports may be identified that are subsequently merged into one report.
	It is not possible to estimate from the Yellow Card scheme the exact number of people who suffer adverse reactions to drugs since the scheme is associated with an unknown level of under-reporting.
	Addressing the impact of ADRs on public health is a key concern for the MHRA. A study funded by the MHRA and published in the British Medical Journal on 2 July 2004, was conducted in two large hospitals in Merseyside in order to ascertain the current burden of ADRs in the national health service. The results of the study showed that 6.5 per cent. of hospital admission related to an ADR.

Culture: West Midlands

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which  (a) regional central government organisations,  (b) local government organisations and  (c) regional offices of non-departmental public bodies in the west midlands include cultural policy within their responsibilities.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 18 March 2008
	Those organisations in the west midlands which include cultural policy within their responsibilities are as follows:
	 (a) Regional central government organisation
	The Government office for the west midlands
	 (b) Local government organisations
	We do not hold any information on local government organisations in the west midlands whose remit includes cultural policy.
	 (c) Regional office of a non-departmental public body (NDPB)
	Arts Council England
	Culture West Midlands
	Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
	National Heritage Memorial Fund
	English Heritage
	Sport England
	Advantage West Midlands (AWM) does not have a direct cultural remit as such, but it does have tourism responsibility, while culture makes a significant contribution to economic development and regeneration. AWM is a NDPB of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	In addition to these NDPBs, the following are active in the region:
	BIG Lottery Fund
	Screen West Midlands
	Tourism West Midlands
	The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment
	The Nations and Regions Group

Social Security Benefits: Publicity

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding his Department allocated to campaigns to promote benefit take-up in each year for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: The Department runs a number of promotional campaigns to promote benefit take-up each year. The following table detail spend on marketing campaigns run by the Department in each of the last six complete financial years, for which figures are available.
	The Department's main focus for working age customers is to promote work as the best route out of poverty, with benefits as a support for those who cannot work, and for people in the process of seeking work.
	The Department was formed on 8 June 2001 from parts of the former Department for Social Security, the former Department for Education and Employment, and the Employment Service. Information prior to 2001 is not held centrally and can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Departmental marketing costs 
			   (£000) 
			  2006-07  
			 Pension credit 2,040 
			 Winter fuel 469 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Pension credit 910 
			 Council tax benefit 743 
			 Winter fuel 1,420 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Council tax benefit 771 
			 Pension credit 5,580 
			 Winter fuel 940 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Council tax benefit 673 
			 Pension credit 12,199 
			 Winter fuel 996 
			 Pension service awareness(1) 906 
			   
			  2002-03  
			 Winter fuel 484 
			   
			  2001-02  
			 Minimum income guarantee 3,365 
			 (1 )The main objective of The Pension Service awareness campaign was to promote awareness and take up of pension credit.  Notes 1. The figures provided in the table include costs relating to the delivery of advertising and marketing campaigns for example production, media, distribution and agency costs. 2. All figures are exclusive of VAT.

Ex-servicemen

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assistance is available to members of the armed services who have been invalidated out of the service; what  (a) discussions he has had and  (b) representations he has received on this issue since 2006; what plans he has to increase the assistance available; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: We take our responsibilities for those who are invalided out of the armed forces seriously. For those requiring assistance, MOD provides health care and welfare support in service but, at service termination, the primary responsibility passes to the normal civilian agencies, including the ex-service charities. Since October 2007 we have put in place a new care pathway for the most seriously injured to ensure they receive the appropriate support as they need. The Department's Veterans Welfare Service is there to provide advice on issues such as entitlement to pensions and compensation under the Department's no-fault schemes. In the case of the severely injured, the welfare service monitors those discharged for a period of at least two years to provide advice should difficulties arise.
	Working together with civilian and third sector agencies, our aim is to achieve smooth and seamless transition. Those invalided from service are eligible for the MOD's full resettlement package (including support into work where this is appropriate and, automatic configuration of pension). Where the invaliding disorder is due to service, no fault compensation benefits will be assessed and paid and, for the relevant condition, the individual will be eligible for NHS priority treatment with additional benefits such as free prescriptions.
	As Veterans Minister, I meet regularly with veterans and the ex-service organisations. Topics raised since 2006 have included priority treatment, civilian benefits, housing compensation, civilian mental health services for veterans and the issues of cultural understanding that can arise for those who have served when they seek help from civilian health professionals. Officials from MOD, other Government Departments, the devolved administrations and the charities are working together to address all key concerns, communicating existing entitlements to all those involved, and areas where improvements might be made to arrangements for ensuring seamless transition. I recently met colleague ministers from Department of Health, Work and Pensions and Communities and Local Government and also my counterpart in the Scottish Executive, when we confirmed our determination to provide excellent support to veterans especially those injured or made ill by service.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rocket attacks there were on Basra airbase in each year since 2003.

Des Browne: The first recorded instance of a rocket attack on the Contingency Operating Base (COB) in Basrah was in May 2004. The number of attacks against the COB in each year since that time is provided in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of attacks 
			 2004 12 
			 2005 8 
			 2006 75 
			 2007 400 
			 2008 37 
		
	
	The figure for 2008 includes attacks up to 17 February. More than one rocket may have been fired in any individual attack.

Military Aircraft

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many equipment failure reports were filed regarding  (a) C-17 Globemaster,  (b) C-130K Hercules,  (c) C-130J Hercules,  (d) Tristar and  (e) VC-10 aircraft in each year since 2003.

Bob Ainsworth: MOD Form 760 is the mandated process for users to report aircraft faults which include, accidental damage, maintenance related failures and breakdowns, and the failure of items fitted to the aircraft. Information on the numbers of such reports raised on the requested aircraft types in each year is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Aircraft type  2003  2004  2005  2006  2007 
			 C-17 Globemaster 69 46 127 203 181 
			 C-130K Hercules 56 38 35 40 9 
			 C-130J Hercules 14 17 2 1 18 
			 TriStar 7 6 8 6 8 
			 VC-10 31 41 33 19 16 
		
	
	The data does not incorporate the results of subsequent investigations and does not, therefore, differentiate between what might later prove to have been operator error or damage sustained as a result of operations. Nor does the data indicate the severity of the failure which might have had no discernable impact on operational capability or safety. These figures do not include any instances of equipment defects that have not been formally reported by the user.

Warships

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many unexpected defects in new classes of ships entering service since 2006 have been reported; and what the defect was in each case.

Bob Ainsworth: No new classes of RN ships have entered service since 2006 though the Bay class of ships has entered service with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. But, as explained in an answer from my predecessor to the Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock) on 5 December 2006,  Official Report, column 373W, making public the temporary defects in equipment onboard Royal Navy ships would allow an assessment to be made of the operational capability of the fleet and disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

Overseas Aid: Cost Effectiveness

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department takes to monitor value for money of international aid where funding is given directly to the government of a developing country.

Gareth Thomas: Department for International Development (DFID) programme documents set out the objectives that we aim to achieve with our resources and a monitoring framework to enable us to track progress. We carry out reviews, normally with other donors, at least annually. As our aid money is mixed with the government's own revenue, we monitor the impact of our aid and the government's own spending on growth and poverty reduction. Providing aid direct to governments enables us to engage with the government on the value for money of their overall budget. We also use our aid to strengthen governments' ability to monitor the value for money achieved through their own programmes. The newly established Investment Committee will increase focus on value for money across DFID.
	An independent evaluation of budget support which reported in 2006 assessed a total of US $4 billion provided as budget support from all donors in seven partner countries between 1994 and 2004. This found that, in the right circumstances, budget support has strengthened countries' public financial management systems, improved the efficiency of their public expenditure and increased the services provided by partner governments, particularly in health and education.

Admiralty House

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2564W, on Admiralty House, which commercial contractors were used to conduct the deep clean of the right hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull's former residence.

Meg Munn: The deep cleaning was carried out by the Cabinet Office's facilities management company, Ecovert FM.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Government's strategy for peace in Iraq as referred to by the former Prime Minister on 14 April 2003.

Kim Howells: As the then Prime Minister, the right hon. Tony Blair, said in his statement of 14 April 2003,  Official Report, columns 615-17, the Government's objective has always been to ensure that Iraq is run by Iraqis for all Iraqis. We have made progress towards this. In January 2005 Iraq held its first ever fully democratic elections, and in December 2005 just over 12 million people (76 per cent. of the electorate) voted in elections that put in place a fully representative Iraqi Parliament and permanent sovereign national government.
	While the security situation in Iraq remains challenging, the transfer of security responsibility for nine provinces to the Iraqi authorities, including all four provinces in southern Iraq which were under British control, demonstrates the significant progress made in building the capability of the Iraqi security forces and the improving conditions on the ground.
	We do not underestimate the challenges ahead. Political reconciliation is needed if the recent improvements in security are to be sustainable and it is vital that Iraq fully realises its economic potential for the benefit all Iraqis. That is why we remain committed to fulfilling our obligations and will continue to support the people and Government of Iraq as they forge a future based on reconciliation, democracy, prosperity and security.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many male foreign nationals from  (a) Pakistan and  (b) Bangladesh applied for a marriage visa with the sponsorship of a British woman who was under the age of 21 years in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record such data. Information could only be obtained by examining individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many marriage visa applications by male foreign nationals from  (a) Pakistan and  (b) Bangladesh with the sponsorship of a British woman under the age of 21 years were successful in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record such data. Information could only be obtained by examining individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of men from Pakistan or Bangladesh who have applied for  (a) two,  (b) three and  (c) four or more marriage visas each sponsored by a different British woman; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record such data. Information could only be obtained by examining individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of British women who have applied as sponsors for marriage visas for the same man from Pakistan or Bangladesh  (a) once,  (b) twice,  (c) thrice and  (d) four or more times; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record such data. Information could only be obtained by examining individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Pakistan: Entry Clearances

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British women applied as sponsors for marriage visas for  (a) one,  (b) two,  (c) three and  (d) four or more men from Pakistan or Bangladesh in the latest period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not record such data. Information could only be obtained by examining individual visa application forms and this would incur disproportionate cost.

Simon Mann

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the psychological pressure being applied by the Equatorial Guinea authorities to Simon Mann.

Meg Munn: holding answer 14 March 2008
	Mr. Mann's welfare remains our primary concern. We will continue to raise, with the Equatorial Guinea government, the issue of maintaining regular consular access, and any concerns we have over the conditions of Mr. Mann's detention. Our Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea (resident in Abuja) raised Mr. Mann's welfare when he met the President of Equatorial Guinea on 6 March.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of allegations that Arab and Janjaweed militias in Darfur are being armed by the government of Sudan.

Meg Munn: holding answer 18 March 2008
	We are aware of continuing reports of the Government of Sudan providing support to armed groups operating in Darfur and Chad, as well as of Chadian support to rebel groups fighting in Darfur. We have made clear to Sudan that support to armed groups is unacceptable and must stop, and the dangerous consequences of further military activity in West Darfur in violation of UN Security Council Resolutions.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister said on 12 March 2008,  Official Report, column 274, in the House that the international community will take action against any party that does not commit to a ceasefire and engage in the political process, including through pressing for further targeted sanctions.

Uganda: Peace Negotiations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make it his policy that representatives of the Government attend a peace conference and signing of a peace deal between the government of Uganda and the Lord's Resistance Army if invited.

Meg Munn: The details of a signing ceremony for the Final Peace Agreement between the Ugandan Government and the Lord's Resistance Army have not yet been disclosed. The Government intend to be represented at any ceremony, subject to being invited.

Bail Hostels: Bodmin

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  what consultation his Department plans to  (a) undertake or  (b) commission in relation to the future use of properties in Bodmin by the Bail and Accommodation Support Service;
	(2)  what consultations took place with  (a) local residents and  (b) North Cornwall district council on establishing a facility for use by the Bail and Accommodation Support Service at 9 Cherry Tree Close, Bodmin.

David Hanson: There are no current plans for a property in Bodmin for the Bail Accommodation and Support Service. Any future planning for properties in Cornwall will be determined by the South West Regional Offender Manager relative to need based on data on prisoner origins. ClearSprings will consult the Devon and Cornwall constabulary, the appropriate local authority and Devon and Cornwall probation on any future proposal to bring a property in Cornwall within the scheme.
	There is no requirement for Clearsprings to consult local residents about the provision of properties in their locale to people who are defendants on bail or offenders released on home detention curfew. Consultation with the North Cornwall district council about the property took place in February 2008.

Departmental Official Cars

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 March 2008,  Official Report, column 8W.
	As has been the practice under successive administrations and in accordance with the ministerial code my car is provided by the Metropolitan Police. The make and model is therefore a matter for them.

Cemeteries: Monuments

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many complaints the Local Government Ombudsman has received in the last 36 months in relation to the removal of headstones from cemeteries by local authorities.

John Healey: In the last 36 months, the Local Government Ombudsman has received 142 complaints relating to cemeteries and crematoria. Data on the specific nature of the complaints falling within this category is not collated and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the executive summary only of the Trees in Town II report was published on her Department's website.

Iain Wright: holding answer 13 March 2008
	The full report of the Trees in Towns II research is 646 pages long and is available as a priced publication from Communities and Local Government Publications. It has been produced as a CD and includes a database of the tree survey data and an interactive mapping tool enabling detailed analysis of the data. The length and complexity of the report together with the associated database and software made publication on the Department's website inappropriate. Hard copies of the executive summary, which included the CD containing the full report, were placed in the Libraries of the House.

Fire Services: East of England

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she received a copy of the Eastern Counties Fire and Rescue Services Acetylene Incident Report concerning Incident 20350 on the A12 at Marks Tey on 5 October 2007; what assessment she has made of its conclusions and recommendation; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department has not received a report of the above acetylene incident from Essex Fire and Rescue Service.
	We have however received a 'Fire and Rescue Service and Gas Industry Feedback form for Cylinder Incidents' with respect to this incident.
	This feedback arrangement is part of the national 'Fires of Special Interest' reporting system and it is designed to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the 'Competent Persons' scheme. This is a scheme that offers expert industry advice to Fire and Rescue Services on cylinders involved in fires. The British Compressed Gas Association (BCGA) provides an Industry Support System to the Fire and Rescue Service (F and RS) and aim to assist the Incident Commander to effectively resolve the incident.
	The comments made on the feedback form for this incident will be analysed and acted upon as appropriate following the quarterly meeting between CLG officials and BCGA representatives on 28 March.

Home Information Packs

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 29 January 2008,  Official Report, column 230W, on home information packs (HIPs), for what reason the status of approved training provider for HIP and energy performance certificate inspectors was removed from Morgan Whittaker.

Caroline Flint: Morgan Whittaker's approved assessment centre status was removed by the awarding bodies as a result of a contractual matter between those parties involved.

Homelessness

Mike Wood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken in response to allegations of gate-keeping by local authority homelessness units where those approaching for assistance are prevented from making an official homelessness application.

Iain Wright: We continue to emphasise to local authorities that their efforts to prevent homelessness must work alongside their obligations under the homelessness legislation. In particular, the revised Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities, published in July 2006, makes clear that when considering applications for assistance, authorities must not avoid their obligations under the legislation. This was emphasised by my right hon. Friend the Member for Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) in her letter of 12 April 2006.
	We undertake regular analysis of the homelessness statistics reported quarterly by individual housing authorities. If these reveal a notable reduction in acceptances in any area, a specialist adviser from the Housing Strategy and Support Directorate will contact the authority to discuss how this has been achieved. This helps to identify good practice in homelessness prevention which can be shared with other authorities, as well as safeguarding against any risk of "gate-keeping".

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Public Appointments

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department has played in the appointment of individuals to the planning committee of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Caroline Flint: The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee currently consists of nine members. Seven of these members are members of the Corporation Board. They were appointed to the Planning Committee by the chairman of the Corporation.
	Two members of the Planning Committee are co-opted and are not members of the Corporation Board. They were also appointed by the chairman of the board with the consent of the Secretary of state, following advertising the positions, shortlisting and interviews. The Department approved the design of the appointment process. The process itself, including the shortlisting and interviews, was run by the Corporation.

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role  (a) her Department or its predecessor,  (b) her Department's agencies and  (c) the Government Office for London played in the appointment of Mr Alan Clark to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation.

Caroline Flint: Mr Alan Clark was appointed to the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Board by the chairman of the Corporation following an appointment process involving advertising the position, short listing and interview. The Secretary of State gave her consent to the appointment following this process. The process was approved by the department and run by the Corporation itself.

Planning

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans her Department has for independent assessment of national policy statements on planning.

John Healey: The Government are committed to ensuring that national policy statements are subject to public consultation and parliamentary scrutiny before they are designated. It is for Parliament to determine the nature of the scrutiny process, however, we have encouraged the House to set up arrangements which draw on the expertise of the four relevant departmental Select Committees for the purpose.
	I am discussing this issue with the Leader of the House and the Chairs of the four Select Committees, with a view to developing recommendations which can be put to House in due course.

Sustainable Development: Urban Areas

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Leicester East of 18 February 2008,  Official Report, column 53W, on sustainable development: urban areas, when the first eco-town will be completed.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 28 January 2008,  Official Report, column 120W.

Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee: Business Interests

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether members of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee are required to  (a) submit declarations of interests to a monitoring officer and  (b) make a declaration of their political activity on taking up the post.

Caroline Flint: The London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Planning Committee currently consists of nine members. Seven of those members are members of the corporation board, appointed to the board by the Secretary of State. They were appointed to the planning committee by the chairman of the corporation.
	Two members of the planning committee are not members of the board. They were appointed by the chairman of the board with the consent of the Secretary of State, following an appointment process involving advertising the position, shortlisting and interviews.
	All members of the planning committee (board and non board) have to complete a corporation declaration of interest form and keep this updated. At each planning committee meeting members have to declare any interests.
	All members of the planning committee (board and non board) have to comply with the corporations code of practice, which contains guidance on acceptable political activities. As part of the appointment process for non board members all applicants were required to complete a political activity questionnaire.

Village Halls: Finance

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she last discussed the funding of village halls with the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Culture Media and Sport.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Secretary of State has held no such discussions.

Cole Layer Trumble

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on payments to Cole Layer Trumble/Tyler Technologies funded via the public purse  (a) directly from the Valuation Office Agency,  (b) directly from HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) indirectly via CapGemini under the ASPIRE contract.

Jane Kennedy: For payments to between 2003-04 and 2005-06 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 18 January 2007,  Official Report, column 1328W by the then Minister for Local Government (Mr. Woolas). Subsequent payments have totalled £481,646 in the year 2006-07 and £40,217 (to end February 2007) in the year 2007-08. All figures exclude non-recoverable VAT.

Council Tax: Appeals

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 1 February 2008,  Official Report, column 688W, on council tax: appeals, how many individual domestic properties in England had their council tax band reduced as a result of a council tax appeal made by them or by a property in the vicinity in  (a) 2005-06,  (b) 2006-07 and  (c) 2007-08.

Jane Kennedy: There are approximately 22.4 million homes in England. The numbers of valid proposals to alter council tax valuation lists in respect of these, received in the last three years (to October 2007, the latest figures available), which have resulted in a lower banding, are as follows:
	
		
			   Valid proposals resulting in a lower banding 
			 2005-06 9,756 
			 2006-07 4,698 
			 2007-08 (to October 2007) 249 
		
	
	Information about re-bandings following an appeal made by a property in the vicinity can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Council Tax: Parking

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 5 March 2008,  Official Report, column 2497W, on council tax: parking, how many domestic dwellings in England have been assigned the value significant codes of  (a) VC,  (b) VE,  (c) VH,  (d) VI,  (e) VL,  (f) VM,  (g) VO,  (h) VP,  (i) VR and  (j) VS.

Jane Kennedy: As at 3 March 2008 the relevant numbers were:
	
		
			   Number 
			 VC 9,150 
			 VE 25,667 
			 VH 2,945 
			 VI 1,632 
			 VL 1,436 
			 VM 466 
			 VO 19,969 
			 VP 3,192 
			 VR 12,239 
			 VS 3,200 
		
	
	A comprehensive exercise to capture information about all value significant features of all domestic properties has not been undertaken and nor is one planned. This data should not be interpreted as definitive, nor is it correct to say that properties assigned these codes will automatically have their council tax banding adjusted upwards.

Excise Duties: Fuels

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the fuel duty increase from 1st April 2008 will have on British hauliers, with particular reference to their ability to compete with other EU hauliers.

Angela Eagle: The Budget announced that the 2 pence per litre fuel duty rise scheduled for 1 April will be deferred until 1 October 2008, responding to short-term economic conditions while ensuring stability long term.
	The Government set out their policy on fuel duty in Budget 2007, to raise duty rates at least in line with inflation based in order to reduce polluting emissions and fund public services. For this reason, the Budget announced that fuel duty will rise by 0.5 pence per litre above indexation on 1 April 2010.
	In taking taxation decisions as part of the Budget process the Government consider a range of factors including relevant environmental, social and economic factors—including those relating to specific industry sectors—into consideration.
	The Haulage Industry Task Group, including representatives of the haulage industry, considered the operating costs faced by UK and EU hauliers. It recognised that within cost differentials, the fuel tax differential is partially offset by lower labour taxes and other employer costs in the UK, and overall operating costs are similar to Ireland, the Netherlands and Germany.

Landfill Tax

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what form the consultation on the removal of the landfill tax contaminated land exemption in respect of waste from contaminated land disposed of to landfill on or after 1 April 2012 will take; and how long the consultation will last.

Angela Eagle: The Government undertook last year a 12-week consultation exercise on their plans to reform land remediation relief and to phase out of the landfill tax exemption for waste from clearing contaminated land. The Government also informally sought feedback to their response to the consultation when it was published last December.
	Following the Budget 2008 announcement the Government plan to consult this summer on the draft legislation for both of these reforms. Further details, including the length of this consultation exercise, will be published nearer the time.

Revenue and Customs: Whitehaven

Jamie Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take account of the spare capacity at Whitehaven HM Revenue and Customs Office in distributing that Department's workload.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC has surplus office space in many areas, including Whitehaven, following the merger of two departments and the staff efficiency savings since April 2004. The current availability of additional office capacity is clearly an issue in considering future plans but the main drivers are future business needs and current staffing.

Stamp Duties: Tax Allowances

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims there have been for stamp duty tax relief for zero-carbon homes since 1 January 2008.

Angela Eagle: Of those transactions for which a stamp duty land tax certificate was issued between 1 January 2008 and 29 February 2008, three transactions claimed the stamp duty land tax relief for new zero-carbon homes. No data currently exists for March.
	The tax relief is designed to help kick-start the market for new highly efficient technologies in homes, both for the fabric of the building and in the use of microgeneration, and sets a gold standard for green homes.
	We expect the number of qualifying transactions to rise as more properties eligible to claim the relief go on the market. For example, in December 2007, the Government announced details of 200 new homes to be built to a zero-carbon standard in Hanham Hall, near Bristol. The media release can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/611694
	The Government are committed to conducting an interim review of the relief in 2010 which will examine the effectiveness of the relief in stimulating the innovation necessary to ensure that all new homes are built to a zero-carbon standard from 2016.

Taxation: Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions Ministers in his Department have had with HM Revenue and Customs and the Department of Work and Pensions on proposals to tax 420,000 small pensions retrospectively for the tax year 2007-08; if he will place in the Library a copy of Treasury Counsel's opinion to HM Revenue and Customs; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 3 March 2008
	Pensions are subject to income tax and, for private pensions, tax should be deducted at source under PAYE, where appropriate. The vast majority of private pensions are being taxed correctly but, some pension providers have not deducted tax under PAYE from all pensions in payment. For the minority of pensions where tax has not previously been collected as it should have been, HMRC are advised that they are required to ensure the position is rectified from the current year (2007-08). HMRC have discussed with the Department for Work and Pensions the implications of correcting the tax position from 2007-08 for entitlement to Pension Credits and other income-related benefits. HMRC's legal advice from Treasury Counsel is considered to have legal professional privilege and therefore will not be disclosed.

Valuation Office: ICT

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 8 January 2008,  Official Report, column 508W, on the Valuation Office: ICT, what the budget for the development of the geographic information system is.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the previous answer given by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Angela Eagle) on 17 March 2008,  Official Report, column 887W.

Valuation Office: Rightmove

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bromley of 31 January 2008,  Official Report, column 680W, on the Valuation Office Agency: Rightmove, what the timetable is for the Valuation Office Agency to come to its operational decision on whether to extend the contract.

Jane Kennedy: No firm timetable has been set.

Data Protection Act 1998: Prosecutions

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what penalties and further obligations have been imposed on organisations or individuals who have been successfully prosecuted under the  (a) Data Protection Act 1998 and  (b) Computer Misuse Act 1990 over the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: BERR has not prosecuted any offences under either the Data Protection Act 1998 or the Computer Misuse 1990 in the past 12 months.

Departmental Official Visits

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost was of overnight accommodation for  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and  (c) Ministers in his Department staying overnight in (i) mainland Great Britain, (ii) Northern Ireland, (iii) the Republic of Ireland and (iv) other countries in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The total cost for overnight accommodation in the last 12 months (March 2007-February 2008) was:
	(i) Mainland Great Britain—£794,048
	(ii) Northern Ireland—£0.00
	(iii) Republic of Ireland—£2,769
	(iv) Other countries—£285,403
	The department does not separately record the overnight accommodation undertaken by  (a) civil servants,  (b) special advisers and  (c) Ministers—to provide this information would entail disproportionate costs.

Petrol: Prices

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will ask the Office of Fair Trading to investigate pricing by petroleum retailers at regional level; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 14 March 2008
	The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is the independent competition regulator responsible for promoting effective competition and enforcing competition law. Anyone with any evidence of anti-competitive conduct by petrol retailers should pass the relevant information to the OFT.
	The OFT also has the power to refer markets to the Competition Commission where it suspects a market may have anti-competitive features. In addition, the OFT itself carries out market studies where it considers a market may not be working well for
	consumers and may have anti-competitive features. The OFT has published guidance on how it operates market studies, including information about how it prioritises which markets to study. The OFT's guidance on market studies can be found on their website at the following URL.:
	http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/business_leaflets/enterprise_act/oft519.pdf.

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make it his policy to amend the universal service obligation of Royal Mail to include small and medium-sized enterprises, with particular reference to a guaranteed early delivery.

Patrick McFadden: The Government considers the maintenance of a universal postal service to be of the highest importance. Under the terms of the Postal Services Act 2000, the universal service is a matter for the postal regulator (Postcomm), which has the primary statutory duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service at an affordable uniform tariff. Postcomm has the responsibility for defining the requirements of the universal service obligation in consultation with users.
	An independent review of the postal services market was announced on 17 December 2007. It has three terms of reference, one of which is to consider how to maintain the universal service obligation in the light of trends and market developments. The review will provide postal carriers and other interested parties with a formal opportunity to contribute their thinking on this and on the future of the postal services market in the UK.

Royal Mail: Universal Service Obligation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent assessment he has made of the ability of Postcomm to  (a) protect and  (b) sustain the universal service obligation of Royal Mail; and if he will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: The Government considers the maintenance of a universal postal service to be of the highest importance.
	Under the terms of the Postal Services Act 2000, Postcomm's primary statutory duty is to ensure the provision of a universal postal service at an affordable uniform tariff. Postcomm's decisions relating to Royal Mail and the wider market are all taken in the context of this duty.
	The regulator is accountable directly to Parliament through the Select Committee and the Public Accounts Committee.

Alcoholic Drinks: Crime

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under 18 year olds were  (a) arrested,  (b) cautioned and  (c) prosecuted for alcohol-related offences in each London borough in the last five years for which data is available; and if she will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 1 February 2008
	The information requested covering cautions and prosecutions for offences of  (a) Drunkenness,  (b) Drunkenness with aggravation,  (c) Offences against the licensing acts,  (d) other offences against intoxicating liquor laws,  (e) selected motoring offences in Greater London is provided in the following table. Data broken down by London borough is not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	The arrests collection undertaken by the Ministry of Justice provides data on persons arrested for recorded crime (notifiable offences), by age group, gender, ethnicity, and main offence group only, i.e. violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, burglary, etc. More detailed data about specific offences do not form part of this collection.
	
		
			  Number of under 18-year-olds cautioned by the police and proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences related to alcohol—Greater London, 2002-06( 1,2) 
			Cautioned by the police  Proceeded against at magistrates courts 
			   Offence/offence class  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 140 Drunkenness, simple(3) 151 336 160 70 59 253 237 188 144 132 
			 141 Drunkenness, with aggravation(4) 428 579 385 265 330 2,408 2,385 1,179 971 1,170 
			 142 Offences by licensed person, etc.(5) — — — — — 27 137 182 272 181 
			 143 Other offences against Intoxicating Liquor Laws(6) 6 — 1 3 6 52 53 29 38 154 
			 406 Causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs(7) — — — — — 1 3 4 2 2 
			 803 Driving etc. after consuming alcohol or taking drugs(8) — — — — — 13,075 12,670 12,999 12,791 12,880 
			  Total 585 915 546 338 395 15,816 15,485 14,581 14,218 14,519 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Includes offences of being found drunk in a highway or public place, drunk in a vehicle or drunk while entering a designated sports event. (4) Includes offences of being guilty while drunk of disorderly behaviour, drunk with a loaded firearm and refusing to leave licensed premises when requested. (5) Offences by license holders only: Includes offences of the illegal sale of alcohol and failure to follow licensing regulations. (6) Offences by non-license holders: Includes offences of falsely claiming to be a licensee and illegally supplying alcohol to children (7) Offence cannot separately identify whether drink or drugs specifically were involved. (8) Offence covers summary offences of driving etc after consuming alcohol or taking drugs (which cannot reliably be distinguished separately).  Source: Court proceedings database—Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Ministry of Justice

Police: Finance

Bob Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the adequacy of police precepts on the council tax due following increases in  (a) licensing hours and  (b) the number of licensed premises since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The recent changes to licensing law appear to have only increased opening hours by around 20 minutes on average across on-licensed premises. The Licensing Act 2003 brought in a new system for licensing the sale of alcohol, regulated entertainment and late night refreshment. While no complete data exists for the total number of premises that were licensed under the old regimes, the 2003 Act has probably increased the number of licensed premises only by requiring late night take-aways outside London to be licensed for the first time. This measure has been welcomed by the police as a key benefit in helping them control potential flashpoints for alcohol related crime and disorder. The number of premises licensed for the sale of alcohol has decreased since 1997.
	The evaluation of the Licensing Act 2003, published on 4 March 2007, concluded that the overall volume of crime and disorder has remained stable and not risen.

Sexual Offences: Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) sexual offences prevention orders,  (b) risk of sexual harm orders and  (c) foreign travel orders were issued in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: Data on the number of risk of sexual harm orders issued is not collated. Figures for the number of sexual offence prevention orders (SOPOs) and the number of foreign travel orders (FTOs) issued in each of the last three years is provided as follows.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 SOPOs issued 503 937 1,114 
			 FTOs issued 1 1 3

Sexual Offences: Victim Support Schemes

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding has been allocated to  (a) sexual assault referral centres,  (b) independent advisory services for sexual violence and  (c) independent advisory services for domestic violence in each of the next three financial years.

Vernon Coaker: The provision of Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) will continue to be expanded. The new Tackling Violence Action Plan, published on 18 February, details the Government's commitment to supporting the roll out of SARCs over the next three years to ensure that there is a SARC within each police force area. Details of funding amounts for the next three financial years are yet to be finalised.
	For 2008-09, the Government have committed £760 thousand to continue to fund the 38 Independent Sexual Violence Adviser (ISVA) pilots. This will be the third and final year of funding the pilots, which have been extended to accommodate the evaluation which is due to report this summer.
	The Ministry of Justice has committed £3 million per year for Independent Domestic Violence Advisers for the three-year period from 2007-08 to 2009-10.
	The Tackling Violence Action Plan also commits the Government to supporting over the next three years all Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships in offering independent advisory services to victims of sexual and domestic violence and, where appropriate, other forms of violence where victims are particularly vulnerable. Details of this funding are yet to be finalised.

Violent and Sex Offender Register

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents in  (a) Stroud constituency and  (b) Gloucestershire were on the national sex offenders register at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data on registered sexual offenders is collated geographically by police force area and broken down to basic command unit (BCU) area. The data is published in local Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) annual reports, which are available in the House Libraries and online at:
	http://www.probation.justice.gov.uk/output/page30.asp
	The Stroud constituency is not coterminous with any BCU area, but is covered by the data relating to the Stroud and Cotswolds BCU in Gloucestershire.
	As of 31 March 2007, there were 76 registered sex offenders in Stroud and Cotswolds and 311 in Gloucestershire.